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Hyperion XP-1 – A Hydrogen Hypercar Promising 1,000 Miles Range And 221+ MPH

The last we heard of hydrogen-powered cars was James May buying a Toyota Mirai. Oh, I suppose we had a small teaser of this thing, too. This is the Hyperion XP-1, and it’s promising more than just 1,000 miles of range, a top speed of more than 221mph. It’s promising a hydrogen-fuelled future. Well, we’ll just have to see, but so far, we’re impressed.

This is unfortunately only a prototype, but it’s the company’s first chapter of their long term vision to promote hydrogen as a fuel source. Apparently, they’ve been doing this for a long time – ten years or so – with over 200 scientists. Thanks to this, we’re hoping for great things, and so far so good.

You wouldn’t realise it’s any different from any other type of hypercar out there right now. It’s aggressive, aerodynamic, and has a Chiron-esque hint of styling with that curvaceous ‘C’ line that runs down its sides. But under the paint sits titanium-reinforced composite body panels, and look to the side and you’ll see a new and brilliant looking “Vortex Forced” air intake. Oh, and that ‘C’ line I mentioned? They’re solar panels that will automatically move to follow the trajectory of the sun.

It’s doors swing up into a V when open, and the wrap-around glass windscreen looks beautiful and, when wanted by the driver, can be electronically tinted. So far, it’s quite the machine. But what about beneath the exterior?

There’s carbon-ceramic brake discs that measure 18 and 17 inches front and rear respectively, and the tyres are wrapped in Pirelli P Zero rubber. How this reflects in its performance is still quite the mystery, however. It apparently has a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with carbon fibre hydrogen stores, and ultra-capacitor energy storage. Powering the wheels will be multiple motors connected to a three-speed gearbox, but specifics are yet to be revealed.

0-60mph will come in at 2.2 seconds, and, as the headline tells you, it’s looking at a top speed of anything above 221mph, all while holding out for a range of 1,016 miles. That’s very attractive compared to current EVs, especially when you add in the fact it takes about 5 minutes to refuel and still only weighs in at 1,032kg.

This is making the world of hydrogen look very, very interesting, and with the car slated for production in 2022 in the United States, we’re very excited to see where it goes from here. 300 units will be produced, and each will be specifically built for their owner including custom work, of which there will be lots.

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